Yes just like when people say “BMW drivers all act like douchebags” or “BMW’s don’t come with turn signals” or “BMW drivers act like they own the road”
Truth is, there’s a bit of that in all brands (audi, MB, etc) but people will single one out to make their point, and in Rapha’s case, it seems like it stuck.
No particular feeling about Rapha, either good or bad so ceratinly would not push anything onto a rider who wore Rapha.
I tend to ride on my own because my club rides seem to often have 10-12 (max is 12) riders and I much prefer a 4-6 person group.
When on my own I generally nod or wave my hand from the hoods and I normally get a response. Sometimes I don’t wave, sometimes I don’t get a response. Not the end of the world.
Actually I’ll add my 2 cents about why Rapha has, and IMO deserves what effectively is a big, coordinated eyeroll from much of the community.
Yes, most brands offer items at hundreds of dollars. However, Rapha ONLY offers items in that price range. So most logical people will equate the brand as primarily being a status symbol, not bike kit. IE its a rolex.
They have dedicated shops/coffee houses. While on the surface I love that in principle…in practice it simply exacerbates #1 above.
i thought this same thing when i first started cycling, but you know what the truth it; most of us are just normal human species: we stick to what/who we know, the familiar.
While people not waving is a lame thing for sure, often people don’t say hi to the new cyclist because they know other people, so talking to them is easier, and we are a somewhat odd bunch at times. We aren’t all the most social, so it’s NOT that we’re trying to exclude others, we’re just not good at making the circle bigger and involving everyone.
I’d just go up to some folks and say, “hey, I’m so and so, how’s it going!?” It’s amazing how many of us totally open up at just that.
Good luck!
I think there is a distinction between expensive performance kit and what is essentially a fashion brand. Like you said coffee shops…?
What’s with the wave thing? Just a casual flap of the fingers off the outside hood is sufficient. If you are feeling emotional a tip of the chin forward can be substituted. But waving is just hyperactive attention seeking of the first stripe.
Of course, with any hobby there are going to be snobbier people, but I’ve been lucky to ride with some nice people. Then again, I’m not going on super hammer rides with people. I’ll admit, I’m not a huge waver on the road, mostly because I’m in my own little world and not really looking at every passer by. I’d be willing to bet a lot of the more “serious looking” guys are just in a zone vs being unfriendly. I’m not averse to waving to folks, but I find it a little funny that there’s this whole waving culture just because we’re doing the same activity (not sure if runners have the same thing)
I love this 
I did a group ride with a new group this summer and this one guy Craig really stood out, I tried to make conversation with him several times and he literally never answered, complimented his bike, no answer. I eventually got pissed at the dude because he was too good to talk to me but kept riding my wheel super close the entire ride and never took a pull.
When we made a cafe stop, a friend and I were talking about Strava stuff and this guy went on a tangent about how Strava is stupid and he “only rides for fun and for myself” but he was literally one of the most miserable POS on wheels I’ve ever met.
I don’t like to judge everyone, but most riders I’ve met that are into single speeds, or titanium bikes, or whatever niche product, tend to act like total idiots towards people who don’t ride what they ride. Not everyone, but the majority I’ve encountered. I feel like they go home at night and grumble in their sleep about stupid strava kids with their stupid plastic bikes and their stupid electronic shifting and their stupid aero wheels and whatever else.
I also get this weird vibe from people on fancy european bikes who usually ride at a B/C pace and act like they’re better than you, again, not everyone, but the snobbery is strong with this group. People who are D pace or below tend to be super friendly, and A pace and above tend to be nice and somehow still humle, its often this middle of the pack group that acts like they are better than everyone.
Holy moly. Feels like middle school all over again. You really notice what brands other people wear and think about it that much?!
I did a 90 mile road ride earlier this year, solo on a pretty warm summer day. I decided to take a camelback with me along with two bottles as I didn’t want to run dry and thought it was a simpler way to stay hydrated.
I got the strangest of looks from fellow riders and when I stopped at a comfort break it was like I had come from the moon.
This is the whole problem. You’ve just made a ton of assumptions about why he did/didnt wave. This way of thinking, in my opinion, points to a lot more insecurities on the part of the ignored party than is a reflection of the intentions of the EF pro/rapha wearer/insert another person we want acceptance from and feel hurt when we don’t get it
Uh, no.
We got dogs. We got pickup drivers. We got car drivers. We got a lot of negative vibes to deal with, every ride. When I wave, I’m not seeking attention. I’m trying to share a little good vibes.
As for “seriousness” or “in the zone,” I’ll wave during a 60min test. It’s not hard to find the energy to be nice.
I do when it is brought up in conversation, and I decide to expend some thought before responding in a discussion forum. 
This +1
You realise this reflects much worse on you and how you feel than on another fellow cyclist simply for choosing a particular brand of clothing right?
I took part in the 2019 Prudential Ride London 100 and 80 miles in to the ride I bumped in to Fabian Cancellara who was to be honest there to ride pretty tranquilo. I pulled up and said “Hi Fabian how are you?” he just looked and said “Hi”
I was still pretty pumped to have ridden with him but lets just say he knew he was an elite level cyclist and I was joe blow with hairy legs.
Well, if my statement were to say anything about me, it would be that I am anti-consumerism/elitism. Which I will happily own.
That said, I wasn’t out to attack anyone for their choices. Simply to point out that some brands ARE status symbols, and I think many/most/all here would agree that Rapha fits into that category. Perhaps I’m wrong on that…but I don’t think so.
What brands do you wear then? Does anti-consumerism mean you don’t buy anything? Is it possible for people to wear Rapha clothes and not be trying to bolster their status? I don’t wear Rapha but this way of thinking is silly. You simply cannot make a determination about a persons identity based on what they choose to wear.
I have found that cycling (and in fact mostly every social group / club endeavour) is very much a reflection of broader life in general.
The vast majority of people are nice, well meaning and friendly. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get to know people and see that part of them, but it’s almost always there.
This being the case, letting the others ‘slide’ for any perceived ‘issue’ is easy - life is too short to get upset about things that don’t really matter too much in the long run.
Enjoy your cycling and be kind if / when you can.
If people don’t wave back - no matter. They may be concentrating on a PR and didn’t see you. If someone doesn’t reply they may have a hidden disability or condition, or maybe they are painfully shy, or their own insecurity manifests as perceived coldness or snobby behaviour. Often things are not as they initially seem.
Sure - there are one or two ‘unfortunate’ people in any social setting - and yes their behaviour / approach may be crappy at times, but experience (and lots of mistakes) has taught me it probably isn’t worth worrying about in the longer term.
You can only control your own behaviour so that’s probably the main thing to put your emotional effort into 